


Dreams Unwind, Love's a State of Mind

by UselessLesbianLaughter



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dreams, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Lovers To Enemies, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-24 16:14:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15634209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UselessLesbianLaughter/pseuds/UselessLesbianLaughter
Summary: Emma begins having dreams that feature Regina. One night she's in a palace by the ocean, the other in the rainforest or a black-and-white film classic but in each and every dream, there's her. The hauntingly beautiful Regina. She falls in love with her. They share soft kisses and get to know each other.One day a 10-year old boy shows up at her doorstep claiming to be her son. The next thing she knows, she's meeting the woman of her dreams in real life- and they hate each other.Can they make it work, settle their differences? Will Emma's dreams come true? And does Regina know about the dreams?





	1. Palace

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy, dears!

 Sleeping in a tiny yellow bug was never a great idea but for the past week, Emma hadn’t had much of a choice. It was taking a toll on her back. She was lucky to have found a parking spot where she wouldn’t be spotted, on the side of a dirty alleyway, nothing grand but better than nothing.

 Life was good when she had work and when she didn’t, not so much. She was stuck in a classic feast and famine cycle with no way to get out.

 A streetlight flickered before her eyes as they slowly shut and her tired muscles finally relaxed in the uncomfortable seat. She’d wake up with a sore neck but she desperately needed the rest. Her breathing evened and the grim reality drifted away.

She found herself on the balcony of a palace, facing the ocean. She walked between the pillars, hearing the water splash against the shore, birds chirping in the distance. The surrounding nature was divine. In front of her, leaning on the edge of the balcony, was a dark-haired woman wearing a champagne chiton dress.

 Emma found herself walking towards her, her feet light as air knowing exactly where to go. The view from the very edge of the balcony was even more beautiful. The water was crystal clear and incredibly blue, the air smelled of the ocean. The woman turned to her, leaning on the rim of the balcony with one hand, a soft, perhaps mischievous smile on her face, and didn’t say a thing.

 Emma looked into her eyes, in the sunlight they were chestnut brown. The woman took her hand and Emma followed her without hesitance. She led her to a tall fountain with beautiful carvings all over and green vines twisting around the bottom, and sat on the edge, the water splashing on her back, waiting for Emma to join her. She did, not knowing what compelled her to but trusting the feeling completely.

 They stared off into the distance together not saying a thing. Emma shifted on the surface and before she knew it, she’d fallen into the fountain. She hadn’t hit her head and the water was surprisingly clean but her clothes were still drenched with water and the woman was laughing heartily, still sitting on the edge. Emma chuckled before pulling her by the hand into the fountain as well. Only when the brunette emerged from the water and shook her head, water droplets flying, did Emma burst into a belly laugh. The woman laughed with her and splashed her with water, Emma splashed harder until they’d gotten into a full-blown water fight, both giggling.

 It was the brunette who broke it off eventually and climbed out of the fountain, reaching out a hand for Emma and helping her out as well. The sun was still bright in the sky and their clothes dried quickly. Emma hadn’t even realized she was wearing a matching dress until now.

 They walked down the coastline together, neither saying anything, as the waves of the ocean made music and the sand between their toes refused to cool down even as the sun begun to set. Eventually, they settled down under the natural arch of two palm trees, facing the ocean. The sky had exploded into a gorgeous pool of colours by that point, reds mixing with oranges, pinks mixing with blues and in the middle of it all, the sun setting in the horizon, diving into water slowly.

 Emma’s hand was covering the other woman’s and she’d never known serenity like this before. No words were exchanged, still, as they were unnecessary.

 The brunette turned to her again and Emma looked into her eyes just as she had before. They were a deep dark brown in this lighting but still warm. Their faces were inches apart until there was no air between them at all. As the woman’s lips brushed over hers, Emma cupped her cheek. Their lips moved in perfect unison, gentle, refusing to part. The woman tasted clearly like Honey Crisp apples.

 Emma woke up in her car, the morning sun shining through her windshield and blinding her as she opened her eyes. The alley looked even filthier in the daytime. She hadn’t time to waste, though. If she didn’t find a gig soon, she’d spend the rest of her life sleeping in that car.

 Still, she took a moment to reminiscent about her dream. It’d been lovely, truly lovely, a stark contrast to the dreams, or much rather nightmares, she usually had to deal with. Wishing she could go back to the warm beach with the beautiful woman, she cracked her neck and back, straightened the sleeve of her red leather jacket that’d somehow wrinkled while she slept and turned the ignition keys.

 She drove off with a positive attitude. Today she was finally meeting with a client , meaning she’d soon be able to rent an actual place to stay and sleep in.

 Traffic was busy and the sun was hot through the windshield. Emma would’ve sold her soul for some air conditioning in that damn car, she was sweating and swearing at the driver behind her who had a lot of affection for honking.

 She’d be lucky to be on time.

 Still, despite everything, her day didn’t feel particularly bad. She found herself thinking back to the strange yet lovely dream again. Usually, sleeping in her car would leave her exhausted and cranky all day but this time, she felt fine, well-rested even. Perhaps the dream had been a sign that it was going to be a good day- that’s what she chose to believe. Just as her eyes got too dreamy for a second, the driver behind her felt compelled to remind her that she’d missed to zero point zero point one inches that the car in front of her had advanced.

 Emma scoffed and followed the car, pulling to a sudden halt and sighing, an almost mischievous smile on her face. It was going to be a good day and someone else’s road rage would not rob her of that.


	2. Rainforest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy, dears!

It had, indeed, been a good day. She’d met with the client and got a lead to track down. The client paid in advance, a rare instance in her line of business, but Emma was glad none the less. After all, you’re not supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 She knew it was foolish to rent a hotel room because of the high cost but she justified it as a business expense. Besides, there were no cheaper options in sight- no one would rent on such short notice and she certainly didn’t want to spend another night in her car.

 Besides, this was actually lovely. The room wasn’t lavish, per se, but it came with most accommodations. The bed was pleasantly soft. She got comfortable between the black sheets after taking a hot shower. Breakfast was included in the price so she really couldn’t complain.

 For the first night in a while, Emma fell asleep with a smile on her face.

 She swam to the top, emerging out of the water and gasping. In front of her stood a waterfall. The landscape had formed a natural pool around her, full of clear turquoise water, not quite cold but not warm either.

 Emma ran a hand through her wet hair and swam until she could easily put her feet down and stand. Looking up, she saw her again. The brunette woman, entrancingly beautiful, smiling down at her. Emma craned her neck towards her, then dove back into the water and swam towards the shore where she was standing. As soon as she reached her destination and her arms landed on the dry stone, the woman laughed, winked and ran into the forest.

 Emma bit her lip and climbed out of the pool, compelled to follow the brunette through the forest.

 She carefully crossed over the slippery rocks, leaping across water where she needed to, until her feet finally found steady ground. She pushed an enormous leaf out of her face and stepped forward, between the ferns and the palms laid a path.

 The forest was alive with wildlife, the choir of birds, each with their own call, the most prominent of all. The air was full of moisture and even shielded by the trees, Emma felt the hotness of the sun.

 Emma accelerated her steps as she spotted a dark head of hair in the distance, no longer running but walking elegantly, blending into the forest in her almost medieval attire. She looked back over her shoulder and spotted Emma, smiled and picked up her pace again. Emma chased after her, determined not to lose sight of her this time.

Finally, the brunette stopped at the beginning of a bamboo suspension bridge. Water was splashing underneath it as the woman waited for Emma to catch up. When she did, the woman laughed.

 “What?” Emma asked, surprised to find herself speaking.

 “Nothing,” her voice was sweet but spicy, perhaps a bit mocking, “You’re just a bit underdressed.”

 Emma glanced down at her attire. She found herself in a plain white swimsuit, indeed, quite underdressed, especially compared to the woman. She didn’t know what to say so they shared the silence.

 “Beautiful, isn’t it?” the brunette asked, voice almost sultry, a soft sigh and a smile.

 “Magnificent,” Emma agreed. She waited a moment before asking her question. “Who are you?”

 The woman looked to her, lips curled upwards in a smile.

 “Regina,” she said, simply.

 “Regina,” Emma repeated, breathless. “I’m…” she took a moment to consider, her mind was a bit foggy, “Emma.”

 Regina’s eyes twinkled in the sunlight.

 “Come,” she said. Emma followed her across the bridge without hesitation, it was instinct, her feet carried her.

 Regina led them through the forest, pushing branches out of the way effortlessly, nature appeared to bend to her will. They climbed upwards, between the trees and past birds that didn’t even notice them, until they reached the peak overlooking the forest, all the waterfalls, rivers and lakes. In the distance stood a blue mountain range.

 Emma stood there, entranced. She looked back to Regina. The woman gently lifted Emma’s chin up and gave her a soft kiss.

 Emma woke up in a messy bed, sprawled out like an eagle, and feeling more well-rested and content with her life than she had in years. She rolled out of bed and walked into the bathroom, taking a refreshing cool shower and washing her hair, drying it while brushing her teeth and finally doing her makeup and dragging a comb through her hair. Her usual morning routine was a tad shorter but she wanted to look good today, for no reason in particular.

 She left the room in a tank top and jeans, nothing out of the ordinary, headed for the breakfast buffet. Emma was always famished in the mornings so she was looking forward to it.

 After breakfast, she’d have to get to work. The payment in advance came with the one condition- she was to catch and deliver the perp in a week’s time. Nothing she hadn’t done before but it would take a lot of work.

 While sitting down at the table she’d chosen and eating a muffin next to a strong but surprisingly good cup of coffee, she thought back to the dreams she’d had the past two nights and the strange woman that featured in both. How peculiar.

 “Regina,” she mumbled under her breath to no one in particular.

 She didn’t mind these dreams at all, though. She’d take strange recurring characters in places beautiful enough to be paradise over nightmares about abandonment or death any night. Sure, it was a bit strange but she was sure these dreams wouldn’t last for long. In fact, she’d bet that the strange brunette in her dreams would be gone from her memory before she even caught the perp.

 She left the breakfast table with a smile on her face and enough motivation to fuel a small army.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot emphasize enough how much comments truly mean to me. I know I've said it a thousand times and it's getting tiresome but please leave feedback, it helps so much and it makes my day so much sweeter.


	3. Red Dress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A thousand thanks to @mooglesmuse on Tumblr for beta reading this chapter, you helped so much with this chapter.
> 
> This one's a bit longer than the first two but I still very much hope you all enjoy. Had a bit too much fun with a side character here, accept my apologies.

Emma had been following the black BMW for hours. Stealth was not the easiest task to accomplish in a bright yellow bug but she was pulling it off. She followed the car as the perp stopped by the flower shop, she followed it as it drove out into the countryside as nightfall approached.

  
It’d been surprisingly easy to find the lead, but capturing was a whole separate ordeal.   
  


She drove after the car in the dark, keeping a safe distance. It took a sharp curve and parked in front of a graveyard. Emma parked further away, by the side of the road in the shadows of old oaks. She followed the man by foot from there, taking quiet steps, remaining unnoticed.

 

He stopped at a grave, kneeling down and placing a bouquet of flowers in front of the gravestone, digging out a box of matches and lighting the candles already waiting for him. He stood, blessing himself with the sign of the cross.

 

“This isn’t quite your place, is it?” Emma stepped out of the shadows.

 

He didn’t turn around.

 

“Who are you?” he asked in a thick Russian accent.

 

Emma didn’t answer. Instead she said, “Showing up at your wife’s lover’s grave after you killed him. With flowers, even.” Emma shook her head.

 

He stomped his foot, a grimace of anger forming on his face. “She was having an affair, God damn it! I had every right to be angry!”

 

“Yes,” Emma replied, nodding in agreement, “you still had no right to kill him, though.”

 

At that point, he ran. Emma had been expecting that. She took off after him. He was faster than her, evidently, but Emma had also accounted for that. She put her money on faster acceleration and victory was hers. She had him in a headlock, holding her pistol in her hand.

 

“Not so fast,” she said.

 

He grunted.

 

She released him, not without aiming her SIG-Sauer P226 at his chest, none but a few inches from it, in fact.

 

“Hands. Up. Now,” she commanded. He glared at her but complied.

 

Emma walked him through the cemetery, leading him to her car. She ordered him to sit in the backseat, behind the passenger seat, and cuffed him to the headrest, making a show of switching on the door’s child lock. Why the car had a child lock but no air conditioning, she still hadn’t figured out.

 

“This is not necessary,” he complained.

 

“Yeah, that’s what they all say,” Emma sighed as she got in the driver’s seat, turning on the engine, ignoring the light rattling and driving off, still gripping the gun over the steering wheel.

 

It’d be a long drive; she’d been tracking him down all day and all night for the past two days and the most sleep she’d gotten had been blinking. Driving in her condition wasn’t safe and she knew that, but at least the roads were mostly empty at this time. She’d have to stop for gas along the way. It was just past midnight. They’d arrive at the destination by sunset if she was lucky.

 

She couldn’t wait to hand the perp over, two days short of the deadline, even.

 

Driving in the dark, her eyelids became heavy. She blinked, her eyes closing for just a second too long, embracing her in a daze. The woman, Regina, waved in front of her eyes, a soft smile on her face. Emma smiled, too. Everything became incredibly hazy.

 

She was awoken by the man’s panicked screams from the backseat. Her head snapped back up and she swerved around a bus stop, getting back in the correct lane. The road was empty, thankfully, but had anyone been in the opposing lane, she’d be halfway through the windshield by now.

 

Her breathing was ragged, eyes flooded with terror. The perp wasn’t feeling any better in the backseat.

 

“Madwoman! Let me out!”

 

“Relax, you’re fine.”

 

“Not for long if that’s how you’re going to drive. What’s wrong with you?” he cried.

 

“Well, for one, I haven’t eaten or slept for the past 48-ish hours tracking you down.”

 

“Jesus Christ. You’re going to kill both of us.”

 

“Calm down, I’m a good driver.”

 

He rolled his head back, exasperated.

 

“I do not want to die this way! Jesus, lady, you win, alright? I am not going to escape. There’s a Huddle House little miles down the road. Pull over.”

 

“A few. A few miles. And what’s a Huddle House?”

 

“Restaurant. Open all night. Eat something, sleep. I don’t want to die because of you,” he pleaded with a grunt.

 

“I can’t trust you,” Emma said.

 

“You have a gun. I have nothing.”

 

Emma opened her mouth to say something but shut it after a second. He did have a point. Still, she couldn’t use the gun while she was sleeping and she couldn’t leave him unattended but she could use a meal.

 

“Fine,” she said, already pulling into the empty parking lot. The windows were brightly lit, indicating that the place was, indeed, open all night. Emma parked the car and stepped out, walking around the vehicle and opening the door for the man as well and unlocking his handcuffs. She hid her pistol in her leather jacket.

 

He got the message and got out of the car, walking in front of Emma into the establishment.

The employee at the cash register seemed tired and bored but was helpful nonetheless.

“Welcome to Huddle House, may I take your order?”

Emma took a hard look at the menu.

 

“I’ll have a… Crispy Chicken Club? And a Strawberry Topped Waffle. And…” she looked over to the perp standing to her right, “do you want anything?”

 

“No, I am good.”

 

“You sure? My treat,” Emma cocked her head to the side.

 

He let out a questioning noise. “Okay, uh, I will have a Ham and Cheese Omelet.”

 

The employee typed something into the cash register and counted, “Alright, one Crispy Chicken Club, one Strawberry Topped Waffle and one Ham and Cheese Omelet. Anything to drink?”

 

“Coffee,” Emma said, “and hot chocolate.”

 

“That’ll be all?”

 

“Yeah, that’s it,” Emma confirmed before heading to the table in the furthest corner.

 

When her food and two drinks arrived, she noticed the man staring at her.

 

“What?” she asked.

 

“Nothing! You have big appetite, is all,” he said, defensively.

 

“Hey! I haven’t eaten in two days.”

 

“Fair.”

 

She was aiming the gun at him under the table.

 

“And you’re hardly one to judge. You’re a murderer, Nikolai,” Emma said, digging into piles of food with her free hand.

 

“And you’re not?” Nikolai asked.

 

“No, I don’t do that.”

 

“So you’re not going to kill me?”

 

“Nope,” Emma said, biting into her burger. She recognized the calculating look in his eyes.

 

“I’ll still shoot you in in the leg if you try to run,” she said to prevent calculation from turning into action.

 

“Save your energy. I am not going anywhere,” he said, putting his fork with a piece of omelet into his mouth. After thoroughly chewing and swallowing it, he asked, “So who are you, anyway?”

 

Emma took a big swig of her hot cocoa, her coffee getting cold.

 

“Bounty hunter. I track down and capture felons for money. I’m one of the good guys.”

 

“So you’re a cop?”

 

Emma chuckled. “Oh, no.”

 

“But your job is catching criminals.”

 

“Yes. But I’m not government-employed. More of a contract person,” Emma explained, before pouring the last of her hot chocolate down her throat.

 

“So you kidnapped me?”

 

“Nope, I’m handing you over to the appropriate authorities. And the person who put out the bounty.”

 

“So you’re selling me?”

 

“No, it’s not like that. Look, it’s complicated, alright?” Emma stuffed the last of the burger into her mouth. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she started eating. “You have no moral high ground over me, anyway. You killed somebody.”

 

“He was fucking my wife. It was a crime of passion.”

 

Emma’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “I thought Russians were supposed to be cold and serious?”

 

“And Americans were supposed to be stupid.”

 

“That’s fair.”

 

“What if someone was having an affair with your boyfriend?”

 

“Don’t have one,” Emma said, digging into her waffle.

 

Nikolai paused for a moment. “Girlfriend?”

 

“No, not like that. I’m just single.”

 

“Well, if you had one, whatever, wouldn’t you want to kill person who stole them?”

 

“Want to, maybe, but I wouldn’t actually do it.”

 

He turned his head side to side, scrunching his nose. “That is probably a good thing.”

 

He noticed Emma grabbing for her now-lukewarm coffee.

 

“Aren’t you going to sleep? Do you want to crash car?” he asked, worked up again.

 

“I can’t trust you. Besides, caffeine will keep me going for another 20 or so hours,” she said, shrugging.

 

“No. You need to sleep.”

 

“Someone paid me a lot of money to capture you. Can’t risk you making a run for it. Plus, you have motive to kill me and I’m not in the mood to die today.”

 

“You insult me. I would never.”

 

“You already did,” Emma pointed out.

 

“You could tie me up.”

 

Emma took a break from her waffle. “Are you seriously suggesting I tie you up? My job is not to entertain your fetishes.”

 

“Jesus, no! I just prefer going to jail over death in traffic. Last time was close. If you are really law enforcement, enforce law unto yourself.”

 

Emma groaned. If she did get some sleep, she’d be running the risk of a violent offender escaping. If she didn’t, he’d never shut up about it. If she was being honest, the second scenario seemed a tad worse.

“Fine. I have some rope in the trunk.”

 

“Why do you- you know what? I am not even going to ask.”

 

“It’s probably for the best.” Emma glanced at her two empty plates, one empty and another half-empty cup, then over to Nikolai’s plate that still had a quarter of an omelet on it. “Are you finished?” she asked.

He nodded.

 

“You sure? This place isn’t Gordon Ramsay but it’s better than prison slop.”

 

“How do you know?” he asked with a smile.

 

“I’ve been,” Emma said. The smile disappeared from his face. He nodded again, more solemnly this time.

 

“I appreciate your concern but I am not hungry.”

 

“Well, suit yourself. Get up then, I’m going to pay and then we’ll figure this out,” Emma said, getting up herself, hiding the gun in her jacket again and digging out her wallet. When she’d paid, they headed outside.

 

“Get in the back,” Emma said. Upon the look Nikolai gave her she sighed and added, “we can’t stay here. I’m going to drive us a few miles down the road, find a more private location.”

 

He nodded and sat down.

 

“I can’t be stuffing someone into the trunk of my car in public,” Emma added under her breath.

 

“What?!”

 

“Just pretend you didn’t hear that.” 

 

Emma drove until she found a forest trail. She didn’t drive too deep into the woods, just deep enough that the car couldn’t be spotted from the road. It rattled as it shut down. Emma sighed and got out, opening the trunk and pulling out the rope. She opened the back door and leaned on the car with her elbow, pistol in hand.

 

“Look, we can do this the easy way-”

 

“The easy way! You’re putting me in your trunk, I do not know what the hard way is and I do not want to find out!” Nikolai exclaimed.

 

Emma cocked her head to the side, nodding. “That’s fair. Do you know how to use handcuffs?” She tossed a pair into his lap. “You could probably put these on yourself.”

 

He did without complaint.

 

Emma gestured towards the trunk with her head. “Alright, get up. I’m going to tie you up and you’re going to wait in the trunk while I take a nap. Just so you know, if you happen to have some Houdini moves up your sleeve, I am going to be sleeping with a gun and I am a very light sleeper.”

 

“Remind me why I agreed to this.”

 

“You didn’t want to die in a car crash,” Emma said nonchalantly as she tied his feet together. “Any circulation issues I should know about?”

 

“None.”

 

“Then we should be good,” Emma said, wrapping the rope around his torso one final time. She pushed him as he penguin-walked to the trunk. 

 

“I did not think this part through,” she remarked, glancing at the trunk and the man, entirely unsure how she’d get him in there. Finally, she shrugged and flung him across her shoulder, then laid him down in the trunk. 

 

“Huh. Like tucking a baby to sleep. Will you promise not to scream? Because if you do, we’re leaving immediately,” she assured him. He nodded.

“You would make for a great mother,” he remarked sarcastically.

 

“Ha-ha.” Emma narrowed her eyes and slammed the trunk shut. Guess it’d be another night of sleeping in the front seat. Usually, she’d have trouble falling asleep around someone she trusted so little but after two sleepless nights she was beyond exhausted and fell quickly.

 

She found herself in the middle of a crossing on a busy New York street. The first thing she noticed was that all her surroundings were in black and white and, looking at her hands, she realized so was she. It was raining heavily and Emma regretted not having an umbrella.

 

This time, she took note of her outfit. Why on earth she was wearing a day suit, she couldn’t tell you for the life of her.

 

A taxi driver honked at her, prompting her to move forward, stumbling through the streets. Her movements were awkward, like a deer caught in the headlights. Traffic was busy, everyone eager to get somewhere, but this place did not look like the New York she knew- it looked like New York from six or seven decades ago.

 

Then she spotted her, on the other end of the street, walking gracefully through the rain, not allowing anyone to bother her. Regina.

 

Her dress was red in a world of black and white.

 

Emma chased after her, making her way through the busy street, lacking the grace Regina simply extruded. When Emma finally reached her, her blonde hair was dripping wet and she had a dopey grin on her face. She tapped Regina on the shoulder, prompting her to turn around.

  
  


“Oh, Emma,” the woman greeted her with a smile. She had an umbrella that she immediately pulled Emma under. “Well, you must be freezing, darling. Come, I know just the place.”

 

Emma followed her without words.

 

Regina pulled them out of the rainy streets and through a door, into a warm space surrounded by tables and tropical plants. The air smelled just a tiny bit sweet and there was a strong hint of cigar smoke as Regina made her way to the dance floor, expecting Emma to follow- she did.

 

Emma didn’t recognize the music playing nor did she understand the lyrics, but she did know it was sensual, endlessly so. It reminded her of salsa.

 

The ceiling was decorated by a few chandeliers that cascaded light onto Regina’s shoulders as Emma twirled her on an impulse, an instinct, even. They swayed together to the flow of the music, in each other’s arms. Regina twirled away and Emma pulled her back as elegantly as possible. In response to that, and to Emma’s complete surprise, Regina dipped her and when she pulled her back up their foreheads were touching.

 

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met,” Emma whispered.

 

“I know,” Regina teased, backing away again and falling back into Emma’s embrace effortlessly. “You’re not too bad yourself,” she giggled, turning to face Emma again.

 

When their lips touched, Emma’s eyes involuntarily closed but she could’ve sworn her lips turned just as red as Regina’s dress. It was deep, passionate, full of exploration.  She prayed for this moment never to end. Regina still tasted like apples and her embrace was warm, her kiss warmer.

 

Emma awoke to horrible knee pain. Becoming one of the 12 Dancing Princesses came with consequences. She groaned, moaned, and grunted, in that order, throwing open the car door and getting out. Once she’d stretched her leg out a couple of times, her knee felt better. She assumed she’d slept wrong but there weren’t that many ways to sleep right in a bug. She went to open the trunk.

 

Upon opening it, she discovered Nikolai had fallen asleep as well.

 

“Aww,” Emma simpered, her pout turning into a straight face, “get up!”

 

“Five more minutes,” the man groaned.

 

“Seriously?!” Emma exclaimed.

 

Nikolai grunted and opened his eyes. He looked at Emma for a while, as if deeply considering a thought.

 

“You snore,” he said.

 

“No, I don’t!” Emma argued, untying the rope. “Get up!”

 

She couldn’t wait for the drive to be over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments keep me going, darlings. Do leave feedback, it means so much.

**Author's Note:**

> I get a pass for "she tastes like X" because it's a dream, right? 
> 
> I'm a feedback vampire, need feedback to live. Make my day and leave a comment, I appreciate them more than you can possibly imagine. 
> 
> I don't know how many chapters this is going to be yet but I'll try to make it around 20.


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